FAQs

Below you’ll find answers to the questions we get asked the most about professional pet sitting and dog walking services.

How do I get started?

Visit our Getting Started Page here

Rabies for pets 16weeks of age or older unless medical exemption letter provided by vet

We will need to see proof of rabies for all pets in our care. For clients interested in having their dogs walked with other dogs we will need to see proof of rabies, distemper combo, a negative heartworm test and bordetella (a.k.a kennel cough)..

Are you insured & bonded?

Yes. We are insured and bonded through Pet Sitters International

Do you run background screenings on your employees?

Yes. We require a full background screening, national criminal search, reference check, past employment verification, pre-employment exams and all of our staff must posses one of the following for professional experience; Vet techs, pre-vet students, animal shelter/kennel tech, professional grooming, training, work with a breeder, rescue league/foster care, Pet CPR First Aid trained/certified and/or animal care schooling/classes. We are the only pet sitting company that requires and guarantees prior professional animal experience.

How long have you been in business for?

We have been in business since 2000. From 2000-2006, we were Melodi’s Pet Sitting Service then in 2006 when we started hiring out staff members, we became Furry Fellas Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service LLC!

What differentiates your services from other pet sitting and dog walking companies?

Read “The Furry Fellas Difference” by clicking here.

How much notice is needed to schedule services?

We appreciate as much notice as you can give us to ensure that a sitter/walker will be available. For dog walking services a minimum of 24hour notice is required. For vacation sitting service -a minimum of 48hrs-72hrs is required. (More notice needed for new clients as we will need to set up a meet & greet beforehand.

Last minute scheduling fees are as follows:

Pet Sitting/Vacation Sitting/Occasional Walks
+$10/visit (for visits with less than 24hrs notice)
+$5/visit (for visits with less than 48hrs notice)

Regular Weekly or Daily Dog Walking clients:
+$5/visit (less than 24hr notice)

*Please Note: Additional notice is needed the week of a major holiday*

Do you offer last minute service?

We will do our best to accomodate last minute service. For any dog walking service with less than 24hr notice a $5 late notice fee will apply per visit. For pet sitting the late booking fees are listed above.

How much notice is needed for cancelations?

The cancellation time depends on the type of service booked. For weekly dog walking clients cancellation is recommended at least 24 hours in advance or by the close of office hours the evening before (by 9 pm). Cancellations may be accepted up to 9 am the day of service for emergency/home sick for visits starting after 11 am for our regular weekly clients. Any cancellation received after this point will result in a minimum visit charge. For vacation sitting services (pet sitting visits/overnight sitting/in-home boarding, etc.…) 24-48 hrs. notice is needed for pet sitting visits and 48-72 hrs. notice is required for overnights. Anything less will result in a minimum visit charge of $23/visit +tax for visits and a full nights charge for overnights.

Do I contact my sitter or the office for future reservations?

Reservations for established clients should be made through the client log in portal (https://www.timetopet.com/portal/login), All NEW clients must schedule through the office to get set up (https://www.furryfellaspetsitting.com/clients/reservations/). If you are away on vacation and will be returning early or departing late, you should contact your sitter directly through Time To Pet app or portal (https://www.timetopet.com/portal/login) or call the office. No refund can be given if less than 24 hr notice.

How am I billed and when is it due?

We recommend keeping a credit card securely on file. You can upload your card to our online portal. If you have a credit card kept on file, you will be auto charged on the due date of each invoice.

If you do not have a credit card kept on file then a deposit of 1/2 will be required in advance for all vacation sitting / occasional services.

We reserve the right to refuse service in any case where a deposit has not been received. The other 1/2 of the bill will be due after your return. For all late payments, a late fee of $5 will accrue for each week overdue. For cases where payment is late, you may be required to make payment in full in advance for future services.

For regular (weekly) dog walking services, payment will be due at the end of each week. You can log into the portal to make payments at anytime. If payment is not received by invoice due date your invoices will be emailed out. If you do not have email access, please let us know in advance.

We accept the following payments:

All major credit cards; American Express, Discover, Visa, Mastercard, debit cards, and PayPal. All credit/debit card payments can be made through the portal or through the payments page on our website. PayPal payments are also accepted via our website via the Payment link located at bottom left of the website.
What are the office hours or what hours will calls be returned?

Our office hours are:
Monday through Sunday 9am-1pm, 3-5pm & 7-9pm

The office is closed on all holidays.
All calls and emails will be returned/responded to during office hours.
If you do not reach us, we may be out pet sitting so please leave a message and we will call shortly.
Our service hours (pet sitting/dog walking hours) are from 7 am-9 pm Mon-Sun, 365 days a year -made in advance by appointment. We book on a 1st come 1st serve basis.

What if I get delayed and can not make it home in time?

If you get delayed, we will continue care for your pets until you arrive home. For last minute delays/delays that fall out of office hours, you should message sitters directly through our time to pet app and/or client portal. We recommend clients download the Time To Pet app to their cell phone. Portal can also be accessed via any web browser as well (https://www.timetopet.com/portal/login).

What if my property is damaged while I am away?

Furry Fellas Pet Services agrees to provide all services in a reliable, caring and trustworthy manner. However, we are only liable for claims arising from negligence or wilful misconduct on our part. Due to the extreme unpredictability of animals, we cannot accept responsibility for unusual mishaps (i.e., bites, furniture damage, spills, pet stains, etc.). Also, if your pets have access to the outside, we are NOT responsible for injury, disappearance, or fines. We will not leave pets outside in our care unsupervised

Can I hire my pet sitter directly?

NO! Please do not put our sitters in this uncomfortable position of offering them employment apart from Furry Fellas. Our sitter are contractually prohibited from soliciting or accepting employment directly from our clients. We pay our sitters fairly based on the work they do and overhead that we have. In addition, any tips that you choose to give to your sitter, goes directly to them.

What is your Snow & Ice Policy?

SNOW, ICE, PET SITTER SAFETY CONCERNS

Client is responsible to have all snow/ice removed prior to dog walking and/or pet sitting visits

Please have a snow removal company, friend, or neighbor in place to call upon while away. It is recommended that you leave this contact info on your file for the pet sitter to call on when needed in case you are not able to stay on top of local weather while away or will not have phone/email access.

Client must provide a safe environment inside and outside the home for Furry Fellas sitters. This includes stairs, halls, walkways, driveways, snow/ice, access to lights at night, etc.

If client does not provide a safe environment, then client assumes all legal/financial/medical liability due to unsafe conditions. Safety may include rectifying anything that could cause potential harm to our pet sitters in or on your property.

Client releases Furry Fellas from all legal/financial/medical liabilities/responsibilities if safe workspaces are not provided in/on your property.

If our pet sitters have to climb over snow, then we may not be able to provide services, or an extra fee may apply.

INCLEMENT WEATHER/BLIZZARDS/NATURAL DISASTERS

We will make every effort to drive to your home, however, if the roads become impassable or are not plowed, we will get to your home as soon as it is safe to do so. Pet Sitter safety must come first.

If roads become impassible, we will notify you and/or your local emergency contact. If you do not provide an emergency contact or we are unable to reach you, we will plan to get there as soon as we can. It is recommended to have a neighbor’s contact info on file in case of extreme weather or natural disaster.

PET GUARDIANSHIP

In the unfortunate event that you become incapacitated (or death), while your pets are in our care, please have a named guardian in place. We recommend keeping this contact info with Furry Fellas on the client portal, so your sitters and our office team have access in the event it is needed. This person/guardian should be named in your will and trust to be the person you wish to become your pet’s guardian.